Lions Gab: When it comes to cornerbacks, blinding speed can be blinding

Feb. 27, 2013

Feb. 25, 2013: California Bears defensive back Steve Williams runs a 4.25 in his 40 yard dash which is the fastest time of the week during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Brian Spurlock / USA TODAY Sports

Written by

Anthony Kuehn

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Anthony Kuehn is the editor of the Detroit Lions blog Lions Gab. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Get in touch with Anthony at lionsgab@gmail.com or on Twitter @lionsgab.

The 2013 NFL Combine is over and the defensive backs were the main event.

Tuesday was filled with news of blazing 40-yard dash times and, for many Lions fans, their mind is made up: Detroit must draft Dee Milliner.

The Alabama product is the top-rated cornerback in the draft and the biggest question on most scouts’ minds was his pure speed. He answered that call Tuesday when he ran a 4.31 and 4.37 40. Several defensive backs ran blistering 40s on Tuesday, which cause them to “rise” in most fans' minds; but blinding speed can be blinding.

The Lions have had a combine standout on their roster for the past couple seasons. He ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, impressed in the bench press and tested well in the agility drills. He had all the makings of an elite corner, except one important thing: Ball skills.

This cornerback struggled to locate the ball in the air while still defending his man and, because of that, he fell out of favor with the team that drafted him (the Atlanta Falcons). They traded him to the Lions for a late-round pick after the 2009 season.

That is how Chris Houston ended up in a Lions jersey.

Houston has improved his ball skills, but they are average at best and that keeps him from being an elite cornerback. It doesn’t matter how fast you are, how long your arms are or how quick you are if you can’t locate the ball in the air to make a play on it. Ball skills don’t just mean getting interceptions, it means locating the ball without slowing down. That way, the player can get a hand up to break up the pass, hit the receiver as the ball gets there or pick it off.

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The league is full of fast defensive backs, but very few are elite. Darrelle Revis doesn’t pick off a lot of passes, but he’s one of the best because he always knows where the ball is, which makes it so hard to complete passes against him. It also explains why he is rarely penalized.

Last year, I had two cornerbacks in the top part of the draft that I felt had the best ball skills in the class. Three cornerbacks were taken before them and all three ended up disappointing. Janoris Jenkins and Casey Hayward were the two that topped my list.

Jenkins ran a 4.46 40 and Hayward ran a 4.53, but they combined for nine interceptions and 35 passes defensed in 2012. The three chosen ahead of them; Morris Claiborne, Stephon Gilmore and Dre Kirkpatrick, combined for two interceptions and 24 passes defensed (Kirkpatrick missed almost the entire season due to injury.)

By all accounts, Milliner seems to have “plus” ball skills but, just remember, when clamoring for a defensive back, clamor for one that can find the football, not run past it.